Earning Honor
by lilypad
Summary: AU Kagome has always had a particularly unique goal in life...to become a samurai. She finally gets her chance, and is sent to Lord Inu's castle to act as an apprentice. There's one catch, though. She has to pretend to be a boy! InuKag


Hey you guys….alright, this is my first Inuyasha fic, and I'm really hoping it'll go alright.  If I get any of the characterizations dramatically wrong, just review and tell me, but this fic is AU, so not everyone will be acting the exact same…alright?  Good, now, some may realize that this sounds kinda familiar.  But only **slightly**!  Hehe, well, I'm currently reading Tamora Pierce's series, 'Song of the Lioness', and I couldn't help thinking,, 'What if Kagome was a girl that wanted to be a knight?'  Bear in mind that my story is not going to be a retelling of the books, but with Inuyasha characters.  I'll have my own twists, and plots, and the like, but I'm using Ms. Pierce's idea of a lady wanting to become a knight.

By the way, if anybody's interest has been piqued…the series is actually **really** good, perhaps not for an older audience, but the books are very imaginative, and Alanna, the heroine (so to speak), is delightful because she's not the typical noble lady who wears large, puffy ball gowns, and doesn't flirt with every man in sight.  In fact, she actually pretends to be a boy, so she can be accepted as a page, "you know, pages, squired, then knights…the whole process), so as she grows up, she becomes less, and less feminine.

After that brief, but eager, recommendation, how could you guys **not** want to check the books out?!  Hehe, the first book is called, 'Alanna: The First Adventure' in case you're interested.

Disclaimer: Urgh.  Alright, how many times must I be reminded of that fact that I do **not** own Inuyasha?  I mean, there's only so much taunting a person can take…

Earning Honor 

By: lilypad

Kagome Higurashi smirked as she watched the wooden, practice sword fly out of her brother's hand.  Souta always was weaker than her, even though he was the boy.  She sauntered over to her brother and shook his hand in the diplomatic way she had seen most samurai do after besting their opponents in a match.

Souta grinned at his twin sister, and squeezed her hand harder.  Kagome grinned back and the simple handshake soon turned into a contest to see who could crush the other's hand first.  Finally, Souta, who was biting his lip with pain, gave in and released her hand.

"Alright, alright!  You win!  You always do!" Souta grumbled, then cheered up and looked at her. "How about a duel to see who's magic is stronger?  Fighting's your thing, and magic's my thing!  It's only fair."

Kagome looked at him skeptically, and then hesitantly said, "Okay, but you **know** I don't like use my miko powers!"  She pouted slightly, and Souta grinned.

"Okay, here's what we'll do.  Whoever can conjure the most fire around them wins." He grinned as he saw his sister's terrified expression.  Souta had always liked sorcery and anything that had to do with magic, while Kagome had always been afraid of her powers.  He'd never been able to understand why, though.  It was always so…so…so **exhilarating** to be able to release the pent up energy from your body.

Kagome gulped, and looked at her trembling hands.  She'd always feared using her magic, and had only used it when she'd absolutely **needed** to, or when Souta had challenged her.  She grumbled at the unfairness of it all.  Souta **knew** she'd never turn down a challenge, but he **also** knew that she was terrified of activating her magic.  She growled slightly, and looked at Souta who nodded his head to signal that they should start.

Kagome brought her hands together and cupped them in front of her body.  She cleared her mind of everything, and focused on the tingling feeling that was erupting in her very core and was quickly spreading through her entire body.  Suddenly, she felt as if her hands were on fire…and indeed they were!  She had summoned her fire, and if was a remarkable shade of sapphire blue, must like her eyes.  As she concentrated on bringing more up, the pain engulfing her where the fire was touching, overwhelmed her and she moved her hands apart.

As soon as she did, the pain became a little bit more bearable because the fire started to fade.  She looked at Souta, and saw him still concentrating on producing more fire, even though his entire body and quite a lot of space around him was currently flaming a deep green colour; the colour of his eyes.

"Okay, okay.  Quit rubbing your competence in magic in my face!  You win!" Kagome shouted out, trying to make him hear her.  Souta grinned and brought his hands apart.

"Well, well, well.  Looks like **I'm** better at something for a change!" He chortled happily, and walked forward to shake her hand, even though it was still glowing blue.

Their friendly handshake turned into a strength competition once again, which ended with Souta giving in…again.

~*~

"No, mother!  I will **not** go to that blasted monastery!  I absolutely refuse!  I don't **want** to become a lady!  I **want** to become a samurai!  Why can't you open your eyes and try to see what Souta and I **really** want instead of just sending us off where it's convenient for you!" Kagome hissed bitterly at her mother after having been informed of plans that had already been made for her and her brother.

Souta stood quietly off to the side, but he placed a hand on his sister's arm.  She looked at him, her eyes brilliantly blue because she was so angry.  He shook his head slightly, and she quieted down and glared at their mother who was sitting, immersed in putting on her makeup for the party she would be attending.

"I'm sorry, Kagome.  What were you saying?" Their mother looked away from the minute for a second, still holding the brush she had been using to paint her lips a vibrant red.

"Nothing," Kagome ground out, then added softly, "you miserable, old tyrant."

Beside her, Souta grinned slightly, and sharply shoved her towards the door.  Kagome stumbled slightly, but regained control and walked calmly towards the door.

"Can you **believe** her?!" Kagome all but screamed once they were safely in Souta's room.  "I don't believe she could just tell us that she'd decided out lives for us so flippantly!  Doesn't she care at all?!"

"Kagome, calm down.  I'm upset too, but you don't see me shouting my head off!"  Souta, ever the reasonable one, intervened quietly.  Kagome could see that he was also struggling to hold in his dismay. "You think I **want** to go to Lord Inu's castle to train to be a samurai?!"

"Why not?!  It'll be better than me having to go to the stupid monastery where I'll learn manners, and how to perfectly master healing by magic!"  Kagome growled, angrily kicking a trunk that was situated at the base of Souta's bed.  The impact felt like it had shattered at least two of her toes, but Kagome gritted her teeth and quickly limped over to the bed and sat down next to her brother.

"If only the roles were switched!  Have you noticed that mother is sending you where I'd **die** to go, and she's sending me where you'd **love** to go?  That's a freakishly weird coincidence." Souta grumbled, not noticing the way Kagome's eyes lit up.

"Souta!  That's **it**!  You're a **genius**!" She grinned happily, dragged him off the bed, and proceeded to merrily whirl him around the room.

"Hey!  Stop it!  What're you talking about?!" Souta threw all of his weight the opposite way that Kagome was spinning and managed to end her maniacal dance around the room. "Quit acting like a moron and clue me in, already!"

Kagome glared reproachfully at him, but began explaining herself. "I'm so brilliant!  I can't believe this hadn't occurred to me before though!  Oh, my God!  It's brilliant!"

"Do you want me to guess?  'Cause I'm not very good at guessing." Souta stated dryly.

"Quit being such a spoil sport…and after I've just figured out how to solve both of our problems!"  She broke off here to give several more loud shrieks of joy.

Souta, thoroughly exasperated at this point, grabbed his sister's shoulders and forcefully sat her down on the bed. "Either tell me right now what you're thinking, or stop making that dreadful sound!  I think I may have gone partially deaf because you do that so often!"

His sister looked up at him form innocent eyes. "Who, me?  I'd **never** hurt you, brother dear!" She grinned. "Much."

He groaned.  His patience was wearing very thin, and he was ready to beat the plan out of her. "I swear, you'd better tell me what you're thinking, or…or…or…"

Kagome smirked, "Or what?" She crossed her arms defiantly.

"Or I'll use my Power to cause you some real harm.  Perhaps I'll set some fire to follow you around so you can't get rid of it.  How will **that** look?" Souta smirked when she wiped the arrogant look off her face, and instead replaced it with a sullen expression.

"Fine, fine.  Alright, what I'm planning is that we…" She paused for dramatic effect, "…switch places!"

Kagome stared at Souta, who seemed to have permanently glued his jaw to the floor, and instinctively reached up and slammed his mouth shut.

"Oww!  What was **that** for?!" Souta rubbed his sore jaw, and went back to gaping at Kagome. "You **must** be joking!  What, are you insane?!  We'd never be able to pull it off!  Actually, **you'd** never be able to pull it off.  At the monastery, they let boys in, but at the castle, they don't let girls train to be samurai!  It's just not done!"

Kagome huffed, and glared up at him. "Says who?  I'm the best archer, hunter, tracker, and rider out of every boy in the village!  I've been training for this ever since I was eight, Souta!  I've always longed to go to Lord Inu's castle to be a samurai when I turned 15!  Why won't you help me?  I've always helped you when you've needed help with your magic!"  She turned pleading eyes on her brother.  They had both turned 15 two months ago, and Kagome had anxiously been awaiting any news that would mean that she could go to Lord Inu's castle.

"Yeah, but when you help me with magic, you don't get a new scar!  I've started a collection with the scars I've received from helping you train!" Souta tried to look anywhere but into his sister's eyes, because he knew if he looked at her, he'd somehow be roped into putting this absurd plan into action.  He sighed. "Kag, I **know** you're the best in most areas, but what about swordsmanship?  What about one-on-one combat?  What about grappling?  If you went up against some of the squires at the castle, you'd stand no chance.  And what if someone found out you were a girl?  What would happen then?  Do you know what happens if you pose as a boy and you're discovered?" He, rather graphically, acted out her possible death.  She grimaced, but set her jaw.

"Souta, please.  I've been dreaming of becoming a samurai ever since I was a little girl.  Now, I actually have a chance to make it happen for real!  Please, **please** help me.  Besides, it's not like you actually **want** to go to Lord Inu's castle!"  Kagome teased him with a light smile.

He smiled uneasily back. "We'll go see Kaede, and if she foretells that everything will be alright, this'll be the last complaint you'll ever hear from me on this subject."  Kaede was their village healer, and Wise Woman.  She had been teaching the twins magic secretly for quite some time now, and she was a close friend to the siblings.

Kagome cheerfully clapped him on the back, and exclaimed, "Attaboy!  I knew you'd come around!"  With that decided, they set off in the direction of the village.

~*~

"Wait a minute!  Ye want me to foretell **what**?"  Kagome and Souta had just finished telling Kaede of their plan, and had just asked her to foretell whether or not it will turn out alright.

"Please, Kaede-sama!  **Please**!  We **need** you to do this!  My brother won't do this unless you give us confirmation that it'll be alright.  Don't deny us our happiness!" Kagome said solemnly, but her eyes were sparkling the whole time.

"Oh, please child!  Ye're not foolin' me.  Why is this so importan' to ye?" Kaede turned her wrinkled face towards the tea she was brewing. "Why is it that ye need my confirmation if ye're so set t' do this?"

"Kaede-sama, please.  My brother…he won't agree to let me take his place at the castle to become a samurai unless you say it'll be all right.  He also won't take **my** place at the monastery unless he **knows** it's 'fate.'" Kagome rolled her eyes, but regained her serious composure and stared at Kaede solemnly.

Kaede sighted, but nodded slowly.  "Alrigh'.  If 'tis so importan' to ye, I'll do 't."  She set down her cup of tea, and slowly made her way to her store of herbs.  She picked out a fragile looking leaf, and handed half to Kagome, and half to Souta.

Then, she kneeled in front of the fire, and told them to sit on either side of her.  She instructed them to throw in the leaf when she said so, but to never loosen their grip on her hands.  The twins nodded, and looked into the fire, concentrating on clearing their minds.

Kagome tightened her grip on Kaede's hand when she felt the fire she had summoned begin to burn through her body, and then felt as it began to course through her and into Kaede.  It was so silent for a few minutes, that when Kaede snapped, "Now!", she almost jumped up.  However, she kept her nerves under control and tossed the leaf in at the same time as her brother.  She kept her eyes closed, but a picture was slowly etching its' way into her mind.  It was a forest, with the trees reaching so high that it seemed as if they touched the sky.  Above the trees, there was no sun, no moon, and no source of light whatsoever.  The whole scene was dark, with the only light being provided from a source hidden behind some trees that was giving off a sapphire blue light.

She snapped her eyes open, and looked around at her brother and Kaede.  She should **not** have seen anything!  It had been Kaede to cast the spell, not her!  Kagome shouldn't have been able to see **anything**, but she had and it had terrified her.

"Whoa!" She turned to Souta, who was grinning like mad and giving her a 'thumbs up' sign with his free hand.

"Well, 't seems as if ye have yer paths laid out fer ye.  't also seems as though I'll be joinin' ye." Kaede looked ruefully at the two of them before standing up and dusting off her skirts. "Kagome, ye were right.  Yer future lies at Lord Inu's palace, while Souta's lies at the monastery.  It also seems like **my** future is entangled with Souta's.  I'm to escort him to the monastery at Kentak.  Kagome, ye'll have to convince Myouga to accompany ye to Lord Inu's castle as your manservant."

Kagome beamed up at Kaede, already visualizing herself as a samurai, in battle and off on adventures that she would never have been allowed to have if she'd have to become a lady. "Consider it done!"

Souta laughed, and lunged to hug Kagome.  They twirled around the room carelessly for a few minutes, and then Kaede tossed them out, saying she had to prepare and to be ready to leave in three days.

~*~

Kagome grinned as she added the last of her packages to the back of her pony, an old gray and white one, who started to wobble from all the weight, but remained upright and dependable.  She smiled at him and gently stroked his mane.  Today was the day she set off for Lord Inu's castle!  She had the letter Souta had forged in their mother's writing for her.  In the letter, he had said that Kagome, (they hadn't bothered to change her name), was to be an apprentice at the castle, and that when she, or rather **he**, was ready, she would be ready to take her Samurai Challenge.  Enclosed was the money that her mother had given to Souta to send him off to the castle.  She grinned up at Myouga, who was perched on top of his horse and was busy checking his packs to be sure that he hadn't left anything important behind.

"Oi, Myouga!  Relax, will you!  If you forget anything, I'm sure you can get a replacement at the castle.  After all, didn't you say they knew you up there?" Kagome called joyfully at him, while mounting her pony.  He whickered softly, but remained relatively steady after she had settled herself on his back.

Myouga emitted a few colourful curses as his horse bucked slightly and nearly unseated him, but calmed down almost immediately and looked over at Kagome proudly.  He'd known her since she was a baby, and he'd known of her ambition to become a samurai ever since she'd first decided it.  Over the years, he'd been the one to teach her how to fight, how to use a sword, archery, and everything else.  He'd been her mentor, and he thought he'd done a damn good job!

When Kagome had approached him with the proposition that **he** be the one to take her to Lord Inu's castle…well, he'd been rather **opposed** to the idea, but she'd finally gotten him to agree with threats and the like.

"Souta!  Are you ready?  This is it!  This is the beginning of the rest of our lives!" Kagome declared dramatically, looking around smugly.

"Oh shut up!  Did we really **have** to leave so goddamned early?  Couldn't we have left at a decent hour?  Like, maybe noon?" Souta continued rambling under his breath, until Kagome sneaked up behind him and dropped the worm she'd been holding down the back of his tunic. "What the-Kagome!  Get it out!  Get it out!  Get it out!"

Kagome was laughing hysterically as she watched Souta prance around the courtyard, at six o'clock in the morning, desperately clawing at his tunic to get the worm out.  By the time they'd all calmed down, and Souta had removed the worm, they were all much more awake.

"You're going to pay for that one, sis!  I'll be sure to send some type of disease to plague you when I'm a strong enough magician!  When I can wield the Power mightily enough, I'll come after you, and place a giant, hair spider in your bed!" He grinned evilly, and clumsily mounted his horse after missing the stirrup and just stomping his foot beside the horse.

"Yeah, yeah.  You talk big, but can you back it up?" Kagome stuck her tongue out at him, and they began riding out with Kaede behind them and Myouga in the lead.

"Of course…"

The twins' voices faded away as Kaede fell farther behind, and thought to herself, _This is going to be one **long** trip!_

~*~

Hey!  I finished with the first chapter!  YAY!  Alright, all reviews are totally appreciated.  Inuyasha and his family are going to be introduced in the next chapter…and, I'm sorry to say that Souta won't be a major part in the beginning of this fic.  He **might** have a part at the end, but I'm not sure.  Alright, the first chapter bears some resemblance to the first book in the Alanna series, but from now on, it'll be quite different!  I swear!

Okay, so review, and I'll try to update as soon as I can!

~lilypad


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